Pressing: Australia
Year: 1973
Genre: prog
Packaging: digpack

The musical journey that took singer / guitarist / songwriter Mike Rudd from R&B fanatic with 1960s garage punk champions Chants R&B through the 1970s glory days of Spectrum, The Indelible Murtceps and Ariel onto elder statesmanship of the Australian music scene, is surely one of the most remarkable in this country. This is the man who gave the nation the enduring #1 hit single ‘I’ll Be Gone’, a song that has become so ingrained in the collective Australian psyche as to be accepted unconditionally and universally, surely the sign of a truly great composition.

During the early 1970s, Spectrum was Australia’s pre-eminent concert attraction, dispensing flowing, esoteric progressive psych rock to enraptured audiences. In October 1971 Rudd decided to launch an alter-ego band in order to take advantage of the more lucrative dance and pub circuit. Utilising the same musicians, The Indelible Murtceps presented a more danceable, accessible sound and simply played for fun and profit.

As the band’s final studio album, following the announcement of their imminent break-up in March 1973, Testimonial brings together both entities. It’s the perfect balance of danceable roots-boogie rock and full-blown, dexterous prog-psych. The Murtceps deliver the jaunty hit single ‘The Indelible Shuffle’, ‘Ray’s Boogie’, ‘Hot Rocket’ and ‘Real Meanie’, deceptively simple in execution and outcome. Spectrum stamps proceedings with ‘It Would Be Nice’, ‘I Think I Even Missed The Station’ and ‘Who Is Bugging You?’, all slithery bass lines and tensile, ascending guitar riffs.

Classic Australian album from 1973 – First ever reissue! • Spectrum Indelible Murtceps as one – Featuring Mike Rudd, Bill Putt, Lee Neale, Ray Arnott • Dexterous balance of danceable roots-boogie rock and full-blown prog-psych • Includes the jaunty hit single ‘The Indelible Shuffle’.

Package Contents

This Deluxe CD version is packaged in a 4 panel digi-pak. Digitally remastered audio by Gil Matthews, it sounds better than ever, with a colour booklet, rare photos and liner notes by Ian McFarlane is a must-have for fans.

Track Listing

1. The Indelible Shuffle [Murtceps] 
2. It Would Be Nice [Spectrum] 
3. Ray’s Boogie [Murtceps] 
4. Singing The Blues [Murtceps]
5. I Think I Even Missed The Station [Spectrum] 
6. Hot Rocket [Murtceps] 
7. Real Meanie [Murtceps]
8. Who Is Bugging You? [Spectrum] 
9. Essay In Paranoia [Spectrum] 
10. Homesick Valium Blues [Spectrum]